The chairman of Marks & Spencer has stated that self-checkouts are prompting law-abiding individuals to engage in shoplifting activities. As per the company, incidents of theft have escalated in terms of boldness and organization, particularly following a recent video capturing groups of young people looting one of their stores. Cases like that of Sean Egan at Morrisons, who was fired for confronting shoplifters, have drawn widespread criticism.
Archie Norman, appointed as chairman of Marks & Spencer in 2017, mentioned that honest shoppers sometimes resort to shoplifting when faced with challenges at self-checkouts. He explained that individuals may feel compelled to steal if they encounter scanning issues and find no staff available to assist them during their shopping trips.
Despite these concerns, Marks & Spencer has expanded its use of self-service machines across its stores. By 2023, the company had deployed 800 such tills within a year to help achieve its £150 million cost-saving target.
Similar incidents have occurred at other retailers, such as Waitrose, where employees like Walker Smith lost their jobs under comparable circumstances. According to Mr. Norman, advancements in technology utilized by large businesses, including self-service machines, have weakened the personal connection between customers and retailers, potentially contributing to theft issues.
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Mr. Norman emphasized the importance of making technology more user-friendly in order to address these challenges. Marks & Spencer recently condemned shoplifting following the disturbances caused by youths at their Clapham branch in south London.
However, Mr. Norman clarified that self-checkouts should not be solely blamed for incidents like the Clapham riots. He attributed the escalation of theft to uncooperative law enforcement agencies failing to confront habitual shoplifters who were clearing shelves to support their habits.
Retail leaders are urging the police to take a more active role in combating shoplifting, with Sainsbury’s CEO, Simon Roberts, advocating for increased police presence in stores as a visible deterrent. He emphasized the importance of sending a strong message that tackling shop crime is a serious priority.
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